Aaron Boone Makes Statement After Yankees Trade

The New York Yankees had spent just over two months without a viable option at third base after Oswaldo Cabrera fractured his ankle on May 12 against the Seattle Mariners, but their acquisition of Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies has changed their entire outlook at the position.

Speaking with reporters ahead of Friday's series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies, Yankees manager Aaron Boone shared his excitement for McMahon's arrival.

“I'm really excited. Been an All-Star third baseman, really good defender, has had some ups and downs offensively this year," Boone said, per video from SNY. "Really feel like, I know over the last month, he's really swinging the bat well, but he's a presence and can really defend over there at third and has for a number of years. We're excited to get him.”

New York set the third base market in motion by trading pitching prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz for McMahon, taking itself out of the Eugenio Suárez sweepstakes in the process.

A second-round pick in 2013, McMahon had previously spent his entire career in the Rockies' organization. He made his major league debut in 2017 and has posted a slash line of .240/.323/.420 with 140 home runs over 3,824 total plate appearances.

As is the case with a majority of hitters who call Coors Field home, McMahon's .818 OPS in Denver is far greater than his .664 OPS on the road. That discrepancy grew even further this year with marks of .856 and .589, respectively, as he hit .217/.314/.403 with 16 homers for the Rockies, but that's not necessarily indicative of his talent level.

The 30-year-old is currently boasting an average exit velocity of 94.0 mph, which ranks in the 98th percentile according to Baseball Savant, while also owning an elite 12.2 percent walk rate. McMahon is an exceptional defender as well, evidenced by his four Outs Above Average at the hot corner.

McMahon's home and road splits should naturally balance out now that he's away from Coors Field, and with 20 or more homers in his last five full seasons, the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium should be to his advantage.

New York took on the remainder of McMahon's contract, which runs through the 2027 season while he'll make $16 million over each of the next two years.

Boone is thrilled to have an established veteran at third base, and he believes McMahon can make a real impact in all facets of the game.

"I know that there's real offensive potential in there," Boone said. "I know he's had offensive success, as well as some struggles there over the last calendar year too. Seems like over the last month he's really started swinging the bat like he's capable, 'cause he can impact the ball, he can control the strike zone. He's had some swing and miss that probably has hurt him a little bit, but then he can really defend over there. Just the handful of times that we've played against them that I watch him, you're like, 'That's what it should look like over there.'"

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